Trosnant Junior School

Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit Inspection report

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115911 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 290364 Inspection number 10 °11 July 2007 Inspection dates Kay Charlton Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Junior Type of school Community School category 7 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 212 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Christopher Martin Chair Mr Barry Harwood Headteacher 24 September 2001 Date of previous school inspection Stockheath Lane School address Leigh Park Havant PO9 3BD

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023 9247 5606 Telephone number 023 9249 9423 Fax number

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7-11 Age group 10 °11 July 2007 Inspection dates 290364 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Trosnant School is in an area of high social deprivation and the percentage of pupils eligible for a free school meal is above average. There is an attached unit for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and the percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD) in the school as a whole is very high. Pupils from the unit are fully integrated into the life of the school. Most pupils live locally although those attending the unit often travel from further afield. A significant number of pupils both enter and leave the school other than at the usual times. Virtually all pupils are of white British background. The school has a community resource base which gives extended provision from 8.00am to 6.00pm each day. It has gained the Investors in People, Enhanced Healthy Schools, Sportsmark and Artsmark Gold awards.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit, 10 °11 July 2007

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Grade: 3

Trosnant School provides a satisfactory education with good features, notably in pupils' personal development. Parents overwhelmingly make very positive comments about the provision. One said, 'I am very pleased with the way the school has helped my child' and another that, 'The staff are always supportive and willing to listen if you have concerns'. The development of life and social skills is emphasised and all pupils, including those from the unit, make good gains in developing their confidence and independence. Behaviour is good and much improved for many pupils from when they first started at Trosnant. The school has strong links with parents, external agencies and other schools, which give particularly good support to pupils' personal development. Pupils of different backgrounds and abilities, including those with LDD, make satisfactory progress based on satisfactory teaching and learning. In many lessons, staff set good challenge

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Grade: 3

and pace for all pupils, and are effective in involving them in evaluating their own learning. As a result, pupils are clear what they need to do to improve their work and show a keen determination to reach their targets. However, this good practice is not sufficiently consistent to ensure that pupils always achieve of their best. As a result, progress is uneven across the school and standards in Year 6 are still below those expected of eleven year olds. The curriculum ensures suitable development of pupils' skills in literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology (ICT). There is a very wide range of enrichment and pupils say that 'Trosnant is a fun place to be'. The care they receive is of a high quality and support for their personal development is good. The overall leadership and management, including that of the governing body, is satisfactory. The headteacher gives a strong lead and clearly exemplifies the school's commitment to 'creating

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Grade: 3

a love of learning'. Along with the staff team he is ensuring that pupils with a high level of need are successfully included into the school community, that barriers to learning are systematically broken down and that pupils' achievements are improving. Recent changes to the staffing structure are allowing for leadership to be shared with staff at all levels. Many, including the coordinators for English and mathematics, are rising to this challenge well. Their monitoring is ensuring that improvements are taking place in these subjects. However, not all leaders monitor and evaluate their areas with sufficient rigour to contribute effectively to the school's drive to raise standards. The school has an accurate understanding of its strengths and weaknesses and is clear what needs to be done to improve further. It has ensured gradual improvement since 2003 when standards hit a low point. Staff show clear commitment to future

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Grade: 3

improvement and, as a result, the school is in a position to go forward with confidence.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teaching is consistently good across the school so that by Year 6 the standards pupils attain more closely match those expected of 11-year-olds. ■ Ensure that all pupils are clear what they need to do to improve their work in order that they reach their targets. ■ Ensure that all leaders monitor and evaluate their areas with sufficient rigour to contribute effectively to the school's drive to raise standards. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit, 10 °11 July 2007

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Grade: 3

Pupils' progress and achievements, including those pupils in the unit, are satisfactory. As a result of well focussed action there has been a steady trend of improvement in the standards reached by Year 6 pupils over the last four years and the school is on course to reach the challenging targets it has set for the future. Even so, recent results for Year 6 pupils in the standardised assessment tests show that standards are still below those expected of 11-year-olds. Taking account of the below average attainment on entry, pupils' current progress and achievements are satisfactory. The school recognises that further improvement is still needed and has highlighted this as the top priority in its improvement plan. The recent focus on the development of pupils' skills in speaking and listening is having a clear impact on helping to raise standards overall, as well as a positive effect on developing pupils' confidence.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. They are proud of their school and learn to understand their own and others' feelings very effectively. They respond well to opportunities for quiet reflection, as was seen in a Year 4 art lesson. They also develop a good understanding of different cultures and all pupils, including those from the unit, make significant gains in their self-esteem and social skills. Throughout the school, pupils behave well, good relationships are established and they cooperate effectively. All take on responsibilities enthusiastically; for example when they give presentations to prospective parents about the school. They respond very positively to the many awards they can attain. They contribute very well to the school in a wide range of ways, including through the school council, and to the wider community by participating in recycling

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Grade: 2

and environmental improvement schemes. Pupils enjoy physical exercise and have good awareness about healthy living and safety issues. Their attendance is satisfactory and much improved over time, and they are suitably prepared for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. There is no unsatisfactory teaching and a small amount of excellent teaching. Lessons are usually well organised, proceed smoothly and staff work well as a team. Staff manage pupils' behaviour very well and there is a good working atmosphere. Most pupils are keen to contribute their ideas in lessons, often showing a good sense of fun and enjoyment. Resources and 'hands-on' activities are used well to engage their interest and participation. Some excellent teaching was seen in a Year 3 literacy lesson. An important feature of the success of this lesson was the challenge and pace set by the teacher alongside the very active involvement of pupils in reviewing whether they had met the lesson objectives, and also their overall literacy targets. In lessons where teaching is only satisfactory, staff do not make full use of assessment information to challenge pupils and ensure that they

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Grade: 3

are clear how they might improve their work. As a result, the pace of learning slows and in these situations pupils could achieve more. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit, 10 °11 July 2007

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum with good enrichment. It is well planned and resourced, and the provision for personal development is particularly well matched to pupils' needs. There is a wide programme of enrichment which includes visits out of school, such as the residential visit to France, rich and varied arts and sports activities, inter-cultural awareness weeks and many extra-curricular clubs. The development of pupils' basic skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT is satisfactory. Intervention programmes to improve pupils' skills in literacy have been piloted successfully in Years 3 and 4 but these are not yet embedded through the rest of the school. There are not enough opportunities provided to develop pupils' basic skills through other subjects of the curriculum.

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Grade: 3

Overall, care guidance and support, including for those pupils from the unit, are satisfactory. Care is of a high quality and the school is a safe and welcoming place where every child is valued. Procedures for safeguarding pupils are rigorous and robust. A wide range of support is arranged for pupils as needed; for example learning mentors and the family liaison worker do valuable work in supporting pupils and their families. They help to ensure smooth transition for pupils as they move to secondary school. Support and guidance for pupils' personal development are good ensuring improvements in pupils' behaviour and in their self-confidence. Support and guidance for their academic progress are satisfactory. All pupils have targets for English and mathematics that are matched to their levels of understanding but these are not used routinely in all lessons to guide the next steps in their learning. Pupils with LDD receive

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Grade: 3

a good level of support but they not sufficiently aware of the targets in their individual education plans or how they might go about achieving them.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The headteacher commands the confidence of staff and shows a strong determination for future improvement. Staff share a clear commitment to all pupils, whatever their needs, and do all they can to remove barriers to learning. There is a systematic programme of monitoring the school's effectiveness alongside a strong commitment to professional development. The recent, direct involvement of a member of the senior team in monitoring lessons and demonstrating how improvements might take place is having a positive impact on the overall quality of teaching and learning. Subject coordinators are developing their skills well and improvements are taking place. Even so, leadership is not fully effective because not all leaders monitor and evaluate their areas with sufficient rigour to contribute effectively to the school's drive to raise standards. Governance

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Grade: 3

is satisfactory. Governors visit the school on a regular basis and are supportive of the school. However, they are not always sufficiently confident to challenge the information they receive to ensure full accountability. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit, 10 °11 July 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit, 10 °11 July 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit, 10 °11 July 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit, 10 °11 July 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

20 July 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit,Havant,PO9 3BD Thank you for your help when we came to inspect your school on 10 and 11 July 2007. You told us that you enjoy school, that staff will listen to your ideas and they help you to learn a lot so that you gain confidence. We agree with you and rate Trosnant School as a satisfactory school that has some good features. We could see that you like being with your friends and that you enjoy taking part in some of the special activities, such as going to France. You make satisfactory progress towards your targets and you develop your personal skills well. You show respect towards each other and work together well. Many of you have improved your behaviour a great deal so that it is now good. We know that you were proud to have gained the Enhanced Healthy Schools Award, which shows that you are trying hard to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Staff work well as a team and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

there is often a good sense of fun in lessons. You show that you are happy to go to staff if you need help. In order for the school to improve in future we want the staff to make sure that teaching is good in all lessons and that they make it clear to you what you need to do to meet your targets. The school also needs to ensure that all the teachers who are experts in different areas keep a careful eye on how you are getting on. This should help you achieve of your best and raise standards. Yours sincerely Kay Charlton Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Trosnant Junior School and EBD Unit, 10 °11 July 2007

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